The Impartial Re-telling of a Fictionalized Hypothetical
by naturesownmelody
Summary: Eric tilts his head back and allows Hopper to move in closer, her small, calloused hands float over his skin faintly, if he were less of a man he would relish in the way her hands feel on his body, but he isn't, and so instead he shoves that human part of himself deep down inside and waits for her nod of approval.
1. Chapter 1

The Impartial Re-Telling of a Fictionalized Hypothetical – Chapter One

The shaking vibrations of the tattoo gun in her hand was one of the only things that could calm her down. The slight quiver that would slowly work its way up her arm as she inked her customers was like a warm blanket that loosened up the muscles in her throat making her almost comfortable enough to speak.

But Hopper hadn't been that comfortable in nearly ten years, not since childhood. Being Dauntless and being Dauntless-born meant that she couldn't be seen as weak, so when her parents died when she was ten she did the only thing she knew how to do: she stopped talking. Hopper knew that if she were to open her mouth and tell anyone how she really felt all of her weaknesses would come spilling out of her.

If anyone ever knew how weak Hopper was they wouldn't want her, not in Dauntless, not in any other faction. So she stopped talking, locked her feelings away. Six years later the choosing ceremony happened, Hopper's results had said Erudite but she knew herself better than any machine, so she stuck with what she knew, Dauntless, the place where she had always been accepted and the place where people already knew and so they didn't ask questions.

Four years from that day here she sat, in Tori's, the best parlor in all of Dauntless, sticking people with her gun day in and day out. For Hopper though, it never got old, everyone came with their different stories, and for the most part they were good stories, best of all was walking down the Dauntless halls and into The Pitt, where she knew that no matter what direction she looked in she would see someone with her art on their body, it filled her with a warmth similar to that of the vibrations of her gun, nowhere near as strong as the gun, but still it helped her to feel like she had made the right choice.

Hopper finished up the tat she had started just three hours before, making sure she got all the details right on the traditional style swallows her customer had requested to be placed on her collarbones. The clamor of Dauntless life could usually be heard inside the parlor but today was the choosing ceremony so the halls were oddly quite, for once Hopper could hear herself think, that unnerved her.

Hopper escorted her customer out of the shop before turning back inside and making her way to Tori's office in the back.

Over the years Tori and Hopper had come to understand one another so well that they rarely needed words, or at least Tori rarely needed words. No matter how much Hopper may need words she would never actually utter them and Tori had no issue with that.

"Max expressed an interest in seeing you on the roof to welcome the new initiates." Tori greets Hopper when she enters the office.

Hopper rolls her eyes before huffing her dislike at Max and his scheming.

"Leadership would be good for you Hopper, more money, more work, you and I both know you're bored as shit sitting around in the shop all day."

Hopper fixes Tori with a glare, not liking how the older woman is pushing to get her out of the shop all the time.

"You'd still work here too, of course," Tori throws in sheepishly, "Hopper, just go okay, for me, please. See what he has to say, you can always turn him down, and knowing you, you probably will."

Hopper leaves after that making the steady climb up to the roof entrance of Dauntless, when she gets there she is surprised to see the train off in the distance barreling towards the compound, the choosing ceremony must have finished early this year.

"Glad to see you decided to join us Hopper," Max, the unofficial head of the Dauntless faction greets her, behind him is his second in command, Eric.

Hopper nods before moving over to sit on the edge of the wall.

"Did Tori talk to you?" Max asks, moving to stand in front of her, Max blocks out the sun, and that is the only reason she is thankful for his presence.

Hopper nods her head before turning to Eric before motioning to the tattoo on his neck she had done just a month ago.

Eric subconsciously rubs a hand across what she considers to be her masterpiece, an intricate design of squares and triangles that begins underneath his jaw and flows down the skin of his neck, the geometric piece fades out deliberately just above his collarbone, Hopper has plans for Eric, plans for the blank canvas of flesh that stands before her, and that's what she likes about Eric, he gives her free reign of his body when it comes to tattoos and piercings, and she's the only one he allows to work on himself.

"It's healed nicely, don't you think?" Eric tilts his head back and allows Hopper to move in closer, her small, calloused hands float over his skin faintly, if he were less of a man he may relish in the way her hands feel on his body, but he isn't, and so instead he shoves that human part of himself deep down inside and waits for her nod of approval.

Hopper pokes at a faint scar on the underside of his jaw, he nicked himself shaving, he had hopped the scar would fade away and not ruin his ink but he was wrong, she'll fix it tonight, after dinner. If Hopper is one thing it is meticulous, she's notorious for dragging past clients back into her booth, weeks, months, even years after a tattoo and filling in holes.

"After dinner," Is all Eric says before pushing her hands away from the skin of his neck, again if he were a lesser man.

Hopper stands back on her feet and awaits the new initiates who are now jumping off the train. She moves to take a step forward but Max pulls her back with a heavy hand on her shoulder, "I'd like for you to accompany Four with training this year. How would you feel about that?"

Hopper shrugs, Max takes that as a yes and releases her, moving forward to introduce himself to his new pupils.

Hopper ignores the rest of the introduction ceremony, awaiting her turn to jump down into the net.

The jump down into Dauntless was something that scared Hopper four years ago, but now she welcomes the turning in her stomach, the rush of things beyond her own control, chaos is something she revels in.

"Lauren will be training those of you who have returned to us," Max continues once the last of the jumpers have climbed out of the net, "Those of you who are here for the first time will be training with Four and Hopper."

Four's head shoots up at that and immediately his eyes seek out Hoppers, he had not been informed of this change in plans until just now.

Hopper steps forward and joins him, her short, thin frame, dwarfed by his tall and stocky one. The two, who come from separate factions, and separate parents, stands next to each other could easily pass for siblings. They both share the same unruly brown locks, and dark brown eyes, naturally tan skin is not often found within the walls of Dauntless.

"Follow us," Four bellows from Hoppers side, turning on his heel and trudging down the hall towards The Pitt.

Hopper can feel his eyes on her but she keeps moving forward, not wanting to look his way and see what it is he thinks of the situation she has found herself in.

Four introduces the children to their new sleeping quarters and informs them of the starting time of training tomorrow, before pulling Hopper down to a dark corner in The Pitt.

"Why does Max want you helping me with training?"

Hopper gives him a knowing look.

"He's still on you about leadership?"

She nods.

"Give it some times, eventually he'll move on. Eric was my saving grace, maybe he'll find someone in this initiation class he likes more."

They look into each other's eyes before breaking out in easy laughter, Four's a deep chuckle, Hopper's a silent mirth that fills her face and lights up her eyes.

"I told you during your initiation that if you wanted to stay out of the public eye you would have to hold back, you're the one that was first in your class, so technically this is all your fault. But, if you had held back then you wouldn't be Dauntless." Four shrugs his shoulders and the two of them move forwards the Mess Hall.

After they grab their food Four and Hopper split up, Four towards his friends, and Hopper back out into The Pitt and then up the stairs that lead to the quickest route to Tori's shop.

Hopper unlocks the front door and flips the switch next to the door illuminating the room. Hopper eats quickly and waits, usually some poor, depressed soul will make their way in during meal time, wanting quick ink in honor of someone or something that happened during the day.

Hopper only has to wait five minutes longer for someone to come in, the chime of bells above the door alerts her. The woman who enters is one of the elders of Dauntless, probably on her way out soon.

"Hello Dear, I think you know why I'm here." The smile on the woman's face is so sincere Hopper can't help but to smile back. This woman has to be in her sixties, a fossil amongst the people of Dauntless.

Hopper brings her around to her booth and seats her, the woman unbuttons the top two buttons of her blouse while Hopper preps her instruments.

Over the years the Dauntless Elders have adopted a new tradition, a tradition of proclaiming their love for their faction before falling to their death in The Chasm. Hopper paints the woman's chest in Dauntless fire. The flames start over her left breast and work their way up her chest licking at her collar bone before stretching up towards the woman's shoulder.

When tears start to fall Hopper says nothing, even if she wanted to she wouldn't know what to say, instead she finishes her job and helps the woman up out of her chair.

The older woman wraps a leathery arm around Hoppers bicep and pulls her towards the door, "I would like you to escort me, if that's okay with you?" The waterworks have slowed now, Hopper places her hand on top of the older woman's before pulling her in the direction of The Chasm.

"I was a transfer you know, from Amity." The woman lets out a hearty laugh and wipes her eyes dry, "Those were the days, things were so much more simple back then, the politics, the war with the factionless, none of that was an issue then, but then again we didn't have factionless until about 15 years ago, when that Jeanine woman first came into power. Those Erudite, I'll tell ya." The woman shakes her leathery first in the air before releasing a cackle.

"No good comes from those people anymore, they're just a bunch of power hungry fools. Hopper, I'm gonna tell you the secret to living the good life: just let it be. Only make waves when you have to, fight when you have to, when it's the right thing to do. I know us Dauntless look like a precarious bunch from the outside, and things are changing, we've been hurtin' more than we've been helpin', but you just keep your nose down and do what's right. Stand up when you have to, and when you have to make sure you let everyone know what you're doing. You're a silent one, I know that, your type always have the loudest voices thou."

The entire population has gathered around the Chasm, they crowd the floor of The Pitt and the levels above. The air is stiff and hot but no one says a thing, the old woman clings to Hopper for a moment before releasing the girl and taking her final steps towards the chasm. She removes her blouse quickly, throwing it into the chasm, she turns revealing to all that will look the devotion she has for her faction, for her family.

And then she falls, arms stretched wide down into the Chasm. She doesn't scream out, the only sound heard when she leaves this world is the splash of her body hitting the water seconds later.

Funerals in Dauntless don't always start the same way, but they do end the same, the entirety of Dauntless stands silently for a minute, morning the loss of an elder, and then in a flurry of movement they all rush to the middle of The Pitt, there they will find alcohol waiting to be consumed, and celebrate the life they lost today.

Hopper turns away from the celebration, not one to take part in this part of Dauntless life.

* * *

 **So, I just found this piece while snooping through old files on my computer, I can honestly say I barely remember writing it, nor do I remember it being this good. I'm thinking I might just leave it a one-shot but if enough people harass me I could totally pick it up for a couple more chapters. But please do tell me what you think! Also if this story were to carry on is would be Eric/OC, I know it's hard to tell right now, but like I said, give me love and I'll carry on with more chapters. Peace and Love.**


	2. Chapter 2

The Impartial Re-Telling of a Fictionalized Hypothetical – Chapter Two

The first stage of initiation in Dauntless was/has/always will be pretty simple. You get the shit beat out of you, by your friends, enemies, and instructors, sometimes you even beat the shit out of yourself. The first three are physical the last one is almost always mental, except for the one tragic exception that happens every few years.

Four and Hopper stood in the dormitory, in front of the bunk bed closest to the showers and toilets, on that bed was the one tragic exception, hopefully for a long while.

Mackenzie Maccabee, said tragedy, had been fairing quite well in initiation up until this moment. She had ranked fourth amongst transfers and ninth overall, she was an excellent physical specimen. An Ex-Amity she had spent much of her young life in the field, dark tan skin similar to that of Four and Hopper, but that's where the similarities stopped. Mackenzie was beautiful.

Dark brown, almost red curls framed her face in a cloud like halo. The silver studs in her ears, nose, and eyebrow did nothing but magnify her beauty. If Hopper didn't know better she might have thought the girl was simply sleeping. But Hopper new better, she knew that the small dribble of white foam that had leaked from her mouth, and dried on her plush lips was an agent of suicide. Or at least disguised as an agent of suicide.

"Why does this seem so familiar?" Four asked, not directed towards Hopper, rather just speaking allowed.

Hopper snatched at the sleeve of his shirt, gaining his attention and gesturing for pen and paper.

Four searched the room quickly finding the contraband items in another initiates trunk, he made a mental note to chastise the initiate he stole it from later.

Hopper snatched the pen and paper from his hands and begin to scribble furiously.

'Four years ago – my initiation class.

Jazmyn Harris – former Amity committed suicide, body was found in her bunk (same bunk), beautiful too, black too.'

Hopper shoved the paper at Four just as Max and Eric made their way into the dormitory.

"You don't think…" Four trailed off as he heard his leaders approach from behind.

"You don't think what?" Max asked, strolling up between Hopper and Four to inspect the body of Mackenzie.

"I believe Hopper just suggested a serial killer theory. Is that correct?" Four looked to her for a confirmation before handing the paper to Eric to read over.

The blonde reader read the note quickly before tucking it into his pocket for safe keeping, "Two suicides four years apart hardly amounts to a serial killer." Eric brushed off Hoppers idea and then stepped forward to examine the body. Eric remembered Jazmyn Harris from four years ago, and there was no doubt the two were something else in the way of looks. Staring at the dead girl in front of him Eric remembered something that he had heard seven years ago when he had been an initiate.

"Four do you remember that story the Dauntless born initiates used to tell us when we were going through?"

"Which one?" Four asked, trying to recall something that might have been similar to this.

"I forget the girls name…" Eric stated, scratching the back of his head trying to remember. As he did so he lent his head back, exposing the underside of his neck to Hopper. The previous scar had been covered up a month ago, but not an inch from where it had been there was another.

Hopper swiftly swatted the underside of his chin before pointing a threatening finger at the tall leader. Eric snatched the offending digit and was prepared to retaliate when Max spoke up.

"Her name was Shonda, Shonda Lee. She was beautiful too, just like this girl and the one before her. Black too, from Amity, if I recall she was top of her class. When it happened we had all just thought she cracked under pressure. It was a big deal I remember, first suicide in Dauntless in over 100 years."

Darkness dawned over us as Max's words set in, the implication lying deep. There was a serial killer somewhere in our compound.

"Not a word of this to anyone, you three. Four I want you to review the footage of the dormitory from last night, if you don't find anything I want you to review every hour of footage you have on Miss Maccabee from the moment she fell into Dauntless. Eric you and Hopper here are going to comb the archives, see what you can find on the other girls, I want all of their information. Hopper speak with Tori, Shonda Lee was in her initiation class.

If you find anything I want you to come to me first. This is going to happen quietly. No one is to know we have a serial killer amongst us."

Training had been canceled for the day, and would pick up again tomorrow, making now the perfect time for Hopper to go speak with Tori.

Four left first, quickly making his way to go review footage, no doubt. Max stood in the corner of the room speaking into what Hopper knew to be a phone. She quickly turned on her heel to leave but was pulled back by Eric's vice like grip on her arm.

"Where are you going?" he asks, not letting go of Hoppers arm.

Eric couldn't lie to himself, the fact that someone in their faction had killed three women upset him, the fact that if they didn't find this freak he might kill again upset him more. The rational side of his brain told him that Hopper fit none of the characteristics off the three women that had been killed. Skinny, white, with brown hair, she was almost a polar opposite. He supposed that if he cared enough to pay attention to Hopper she might be pretty, but he doesn't. The irrational side of his brain, the side that he kept locked away at all times told him that no woman was safe in the compound, that it was only a matter of time until the killer acted out again.

Hopper shook her arm from his grasp and pulled her sleeve up, exposing one of the many tattoos on her arms. Instantly he felt like an idiot for not realizing she was going to Tori's.

"I'm coming with you." He barked out, leaving no room for her to protest. Even if she could Hopper doubted that she would, Eric's menacing presence did nothing but sooth her, she knew that the time they spent together was purely professional, and came with the added bonus of scaring off people from speaking with her on their journey.

Tori's Parlor, the only parlor in Dauntless, was constantly busy, except for the rare thirty minute lull during meal times. Now was not a meal time. Tori employed twenty of Dauntless' best artist and still it seemed that at times that wasn't enough.

Tori saw them before they even entered the shop, they paused outside, right in front of the door. Hopper moved to pull it open, but before she could Eric's arm shot out, preventing her from pulling the door open. He whispered something to her, looking directly at Tori before he retched the door open, ushering the silent girl in before him.

"I've already heard," Tori told them as they approached her. "Sad, it's been quite a few years since we had a suicide, was kind of hoping that would have been the last one."

Hopper listened as Eric and Tori spoke in hushed tones, she edged away from them to find a notepad. While normally Tori didn't need notes to know what Hopper was asking her, she was doubtful that Tori would know they were investigating a possible serial killer.

"Lets go to your office." Eric commanded quietly, trying to not create a spectacle.

That was impossible though, everywhere Eric went he created a spectacle.

Heads turned and watched as they left the room, tattoo guns quieted and all speaking paused, the air was stiff and silent for a moment. Then the door closed and everything resumed. Hopper listened at the door for a moment, making sure no one tried to listen in on their conversation.

"We need to ask you a couple questions about your initiation class, one person in particular. Shonda Lee?" Eric moved to lean against the edge of Tori's desk. Crossing his arms over his chest, might not have meant to be intimidating, but Hopper couldn't help but shiver at the wave of nerves that passed over her, even if she had nothing to fear, no reason to be scared, Eric was that intimidating.

Tori bristled for a moment as well, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking a hip out, she was challenging him.

"God it's been a long time since I heard that name. She died 8 years ago, maybe 9. Top of our class, she was perfect Dauntless, I remember thinking she should have been put with the Dauntless born instead of the transfers, she was so fierce, so determined. Then one day we found her, dead." Tori huffed, and wiped an invisible tear from her eye.

"What has that got to do with Mackenzie Macabee?"

Hopper cleared her throat and tapped at the pad of paper she had quickly scribbled the answer to Tori's question on.

'Serial Killer'

"Two murders, 8 years apart and you think you've got a serial killer on your hands? I don't think so Hopper." Tori moved to pull the door open before Eric called her back.

"There was another, during Hopper's initiation. Jazmyn Harris committed suicide. Same physical features, black skin, curly brown hair, all transfers from Amity, all beautiful. All suicides. I'm sure when Hopper and I go to check the archives we'll find the same cause of death, too.

"Do you remember anything about Shonda Lee? Did she have any enemies? I know we all had enemies during initiation, but do you remember any that might have wanted to hurt Shonda? Or if she had beef with members, people she might have known before she transferred?"

Hopper paced the room, while Tori tried to think back on people that might have faked a girls suicide to be ranked first.

"I honestly can't remember anything like that Eric. Maybe Charles? He was ranked first at the end of initiation. He was kind of a weird one back then, they offered him leadership, as is customary, but he took a job as a guard on the fence. If I remember correctly he's rejected every promotion they've brought to him. I honestly don't think he did it though, he's always just been kind of a hermit."

Eric thanked Tori before pulling Hopper out of her office, and out of the shop. He kept his hand on her elbow as they walked through Dauntless, occasionally leaning in to whisper theories into her ear. Eric was clearly excited with the thought of a murder investigation, especially a murder investigation into a possible serial killer.

"Could have been one of those pathetic Romeo and Juliet scenarios."

Or

"Taking out the completion."

Or

"Might be she just cracked and now we've got a copy cat killer."

Or

"Someone-

Hopper stopped his speculating with a well placed jab to the ribs with her elbow.

'Archives'

She passes him the note before turning the corner and running down the steps she knew would lead to the basement where they kept all the old paper archives. Dauntless had just been starting to transition to computers 8 years ago, so any files on Shonda would probably be tucked away in a file box somewhere.

Eric growled somewhere behind her but didn't say anything, instead he just quickened his pace to keep up with the mute.

The records basement was a horrible catastrophe that most people avoided at all costs. Which is why no connection was probably ever made between Shonda and Jazmyn.

"Fuck." Eric whispered, Hopper nodded her head in agreement. It would take them days to find the file on Shonda if not weeks.

"Did they even try to sort this shit?" Eric asked to no one in particular.

Hopper looked around the room for a moment before she spotted the search key taped to the back wall of the room. She flicked Eric on the shoulder and pointed to the back wall before she began to make her way over to the sign, climbing over hastily stacked boxes, and slipping on years worth of dust.

After a few minutes of climbing she snatched the poster off the wall and began to make her trek back.

With the poster clenched between her fist Hopper summited the last mountain of boxes. This stack ended abruptly, Hopper would have to jump down ten feet. She braced herself to jump,

"Don't be stupid." Eric interjected, offering his hand.

"The last thing we need if for you to break your fucking leg jumping off a stack of boxes." Eric snatched the poster from her hands, and tucked it into his back pocket before grabbing Hoppers hands and pulling her down.

He didn't miss the annoyed look that crossed her face. After all she was called Hopper for a reason.

"Shut up," He told her, before releasing her back on the ground and pulling the poster out of his pocket so they could look at it.

Hopper smirked before pulling the poster out of his hands and unraveling it.

Turns out Dauntless had a filing system, that being the oldest files were in the back of the room and the newest files were towards the front of the room. Which meant that it hopefully wouldn't take too long to find the file on Shonda Lee.

Twenty minutes into looking Hopper found the file on Shonda Lee, she sat atop a box or two, reading over the file, and was disappointed to find that their had been no investigation into Shonda's supposed suicide.

Hopper whistled, a high, fast note, getting Eric's attention. He dropped the box he had been searching through on the opposite side of the room and joined Hopper.

Eric read through the file quickly before throwing it across the room, "Fuck!"

"Come on lets get the fuck out of here." Eric stormed out of the room, Hopper followed quickly after him.

* * *

 **Wow, long time in between updates. Sorry about that. I guess I've decided to move this from a one-shot to a multi chapter fic? I don't really know, honestly still on the fence. Please let me know what you think.**


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